Walkway along the water a tough sell

June Casagrande

A longtime dream of some local leaders is about to come face to face

with reality.

The City Council on March 23 will get its first look at a

feasibility study for the proposed Mariners Mile Waterfront Walkway,

a winding wooden pedestrian path along the water stretching from the

Arches Bridge to the Balboa Bay Club.

“It would be a long-term project and there are definitely some

challenges to making it happen,” said Lloyd Dalton, an engineer with

the city’s Public Works Department. “For one thing, it would be big

bucks.”

In order to make enough room for the boardwalk, the city could

have to move piers and moorings farther out into the water -- a

process that would require federal and state approvals as well as a

lot of money. How much? It’s too early to estimate, Dalton said.

The idea is to transform the area into a pedestrian destination

complete with waterfront dining. But another technical hurdle is: How

would people get there and where would they park?

One idea is to create a parking structure on the north side of

Coast Highway and build a pedestrian overpass to the walkway area.

Again, officials say it’s too soon to put a dollar figure on this

estimated cost, but it’s guaranteed to be pricey.

Another difficult problem is how to deal with the multiple

boat-launch areas along the walkway, Dalton said. The boardwalk might

have to be elevated over the boat launches.

The city’s consultant, Cash and Associates, has been examining

these engineering challenges and also meeting with the owners of the

businesses that line the area. Some have openly opposed the project,

while others see it as a potential boon to business.

The city’s Harbor Commission is expected to vote at its next

meeting on what to recommend to the City Council. Historically

enthusiastic about the project, they’re likely to recommend that the

council move forward.

Council members will get their first look at the project later

this month, at which time an idea that has so far remained within

City Hall walls, will be thrust into the public forum, where the

debate could be heated.

“It’s a tough sell,” said Mayor Tod Ridgeway, who has supported

the concept since it was first conceived about 10 years ago. “But

it’s a neat project. It could do a lot for the area.”

* JUNE CASAGRANDE covers Newport Beach and John Wayne Airport. She

may be reached at (949) 574-4232 or by e-mail at

[email protected].